


The Jasmine Dragon

by 4ever_Rewritten



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Iroh is a total smooth flirt, It spiraled from there., Reader is frazzled, Stretching out cannon time, This started as a prompt for Iroh to encounter someone to flirt back with him, Zuko is just so tired of this, but also a bit of a dork, but so in love with Iroh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:14:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25943428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4ever_Rewritten/pseuds/4ever_Rewritten
Summary: The Jasmine Dragon, the newest tea shop in Ba Sing Se's middle ring. Everyone raved about their carefully blended tea, and many of your coworkers gossiped about the young handsome server despite the scarred face.You, however, were far more interested in its owner. Even if he was far older than you.
Relationships: Iroh (Avatar)/Reader
Comments: 9
Kudos: 41





	The Jasmine Dragon

The Jasmine Dragon had quickly become your new favorite place to relax after work. Within a few weeks, you had become a regular, stopping by every afternoon to indulge in a cup or two of the various teas and just to enjoy the atmosphere. 

Tea shops in the middle ring usually had a very… haughty atmosphere. Stern and stiff with dress codes and who they allowed in. Yet not the Jasmine Dragon. Its atmosphere was far more relaxed as people happily chatting over tea, kids allowed to laugh and giggle while their parents caught up with the day’s gossip. 

Never mind the tea was far better than any other tea shop. You weren’t exactly a tea connoisseur but you could still deduce Mushi certainly was. 

Which was the other reason you frequented: Mushi. He was not a typical man that the other ladies enjoyed fawning over, but to you…

Well. You were in deep. Heads over heels deep, which made you feel rather guilty because he was certainly older than you, and he also had to be married. You may have never seen his wife or heard either of them mention her, but there was little doubt in your mind that there was a missus in the back. Perhaps a high-class lady that was shy and demure. After all, something about the way Lee carried himself told you he was definitely high-class, even if Mushi didn’t quite act it. 

And here you were, unmarried, overworked, and in love with a man that was completely out of reach. 

—

“There she is,” Mushi greeted as you entered the tea shop, your name rolling off his tongue as you blushed at the wide smile on his face. “I was beginning to worry you wouldn’t be joining us today!”

“And miss your handsome face?” You replied without thinking because it had been the first thing to pop into your head. It was his turn to look surprised; a faint blush crossing his cheeks before he laughed your slip of the tongue away as if it had been a joke. 

Which, it hadn’t. It had actually been your main thought as you were forced to stay late at work because another employee had walked out and you had too much integrity to leave your co-workers to work short. 

Thankfully someone else had shown up, allowing you to leave and rush to the tea shop before they closed. 

“Take a seat, my dear!” Mushi waved toward your usual table, breaking your train of thought. “Lee will be with you shortly.”

He turned back to the group he had been talking to and you slinked to the table and slid into your seat while wishing you would just melt into the floor. 

“Nice,” Lee commented dryly as he appeared a moment later. “Very subtle.”

“I feel so embarrassed,” you whined pitifully as he poured your usual order. 

“As you should.” Lee was often dry with you once he started to feel comfortable in your presence. Yet a’;t the same time, he seemed to actually care, going as far as patting your shoulders awkwardly as you tried to hide your face.

“It just…” you gestured the word popping from your mouth. “Every time. Whatever thought is at the front of my mind just pops out.”

He was quiet for a moment, “…He likes it,” he muttered quietly, almost sounding embarrassed as well. When you glanced towards him, he was looking away with a very put-upon expression. “When you…flirt with him." 

When Lee looked back, you were fairly sure your face expressed your delight and hope, judging by his own soured expression. Yet after a second, your mood started downwards again as you caught sight of Mushi. "I bet your aunt isn’t as happy." 

"Aunt?” His expression morphed into confusion as he quirked his eyebrow. “What aunt?”

You paused as you looked to him, hope once more blooming in your chest despite yourself. "Isn’t Mushi married?”

“No, well…. A long time ago, but she died before I was born.”

It was bittersweet hurting in sympathy for Mushi, yet also having butterflies as you realized you might actually have a slight chance. You weren’t crushing on a married man. 

Just one that was more than just a few years older and thought you were just being playful when you shyly flirted with him. 

“He hasn’t said anything about being interested in anyone in particular, has he?” You asked as you played with your hair, your eyes drifting to the man in question as he bid the other customers farewell and disappeared into the back. 

The odd noise from Lee made your attention snap back to the young man. His face was somehow both green and red at the same time, his expression truly horrified. “Don’t give me that look!” You balked, feeling embarrassed yourself. “And don’t tell him I asked! Omashu,” you buried your face in your hands. Why was it things just popped out of your mouth when it came to Mushi? This time around Lee nevertheless. 

“I just…I can’t. I just can’t.” Lee shook his head and marched back towards the kitchens. 

And okay, you could kind of sympathize with the poor boy. You could imagine what it would be like to have someone fawn over your older uncle in front of you.

You sighed and sipped at your tea, watching the sunset out the window as lights started to flicker to life. You weren’t sure if today was a good day or a bad day. Or maybe just a day. 

He wasn’t married. 

He was still twice your age.

He noticed you weren’t there. You smiled to yourself as you remembered his bright smile when you entered. His deep laugh turning your stomach into butterflies. 

But he thought you were teasing. 

You sighed as you took another sip. How could you convince him you weren’t just bantering. That you did look forward to seeing him every day. He may not be a strapping young Dai Li agent that looked as if Oma and Shu had granted life to a statue, but there was something to be found attractive in his shorter and rounder appearance. 

He’d be a lot more comfortable to hug, for one. To he wrapped in his arms, resting against his full-frame and drifting off to sleep….

–

“What with that look, nephew?” Iroh asked as Zuko entered the kitchen sans teapot. Instead of answering right, the teenager groaned and rested his head against the wall. “Did someone leave you another love note?” He chuckled at the thought. A lot of the young women would leave notes ranging from simple /you’re cute!/ To poems using flowery prose to describe his unique gold eyes and black hair. 

“I wished,” Zuko muttered, opening his bad eye to look at his uncle. 

“Well, did our favorite customer say why she looked so frazzled this evening?’ Iroh gently pried as he busied himself with dirty dishes. "It’s not like her to be so late." 

"I guess I didn’t ask…”

“Oh? Then what were you two talking about? She seemed rather flustered.”

Of course, he would notice that. Because just as he had to listen to you try to deny and admit your crush in the same sentence, Zuko knew his uncle enough to know his flirting with you was different that the attention he gave other women. 

He never talked about them. But he would talk about you. Small comments here and there that had caught the prince’s attention. 

“She thought you were married,” he blurted out with the finesse of a komodo rhino. To his credit, Iroh didn’t drop the cup he had been washing, though it was a close call. It was actually comical the way his eyes widened.

“She what?”

“I told her that my aunt died a long time ago,” Zuko shrugged, trying to act indifferent when he really enjoyed seeing his uncle flustered for once, though the older man was trying to hide it as he continued. “She then made me promise not to tell you that she asked if you were interested in anyone." 

The clay teacup shattered in Iroh’s hands, though he barely seemed to care, judging by the smile forming on his face. 

Zuko expected his uncle to burst into the cafe and do something over the top and embarrassing. Instead, he turned his attention back to the broken cup, though still smiling widely as he hummed to himself, picking up the fragments. 

"Wait…aren’t you going to do anything?” Zuko asked after a moment.

“When it comes to matters of the heart, dear nephew, you cannot rush. Patience is key. One must allow a fruit to ripen before harvesting.”

“What is there to ripen?!” Zuko groaned after a long moment of trying to understand his uncle’s words. “She likes you, and you like her, right? Right?” He stressed as Iroh just continued to hum to himself, which sounded a lot like the girls of Ba Sing Se. 

—

The next day you had a feeling something had changed when you entered the tea shop. 

“Welcome, my beautiful firelily,” Mushi greeted as soon as he saw you, smiling widely as ever though you swear there was more of a glint in his exotic golden eyes. 

“Thank you, my handsome tea master,” you blurted back without thinking. You enjoyed the shocked but pleased expression as he chuckled but returned to his customer he was pouring tea for. 

You once more slinked to your usual free table. You expect Lee to appear and give you grief once more. Or express his usual dismay at your flirting. 

Instead Mushi slid up next to you, setting a cup before you and pouring the tea gracefully despite your jump of surprise. “I know you prefer my Jasmine Chamomile with honey after a long day of work,” he started lowly, making a shiver trace down your spine at the huskiness of his voice. “But I think you will enjoy this blend as well. It’s a sultry full-bodied tea, aged so it’s slightly smoky yet sweet. Something I believe you’re fond of." 

You were fairly sure your face was as warm as the steaming tea in the innocent cup. You shifted slightly in your seat, rather ashamed of the shivers and warmth pooling in your abdomen from his voice and words alone. 

Then his free hand rested lightly on your lower back, and you swore his hand was hot as the teapot, which felt like heaven on your sore muscles. You looked from the dark tea up to him, able to notice the flecks of dark amber and gold in his eyes as he smiled down at you. "Enjoy my dear,” he continued as he pulled away slowly. “I hope you find this brew as pleasing and fulfilling as I expect." 

You were going to die and melt in a puddle right there. You couldn’t even think of a single word, let alone say anything as he went to tend to the other customers, once more his usual bright and cheerful self, no hint of…

Of…

What exactly was that? You wheezed as you turned back to your tea, cupping the warm porcelain with your slightly trembling hands. That was not Mushi’s typical banter and light flirting that left you with butterflies but smiling ear to ear. 

That was… sensuous. Sultry. Seductive. 

You brought the cup to your lips to hide your smile, closing your eyes to enjoy the subtle scent of the tea. As he said, you caught a whiff of slight smokiness mixed in with deeper earthy tones. 

Full-bodied indeed, you thought pleasantly as you took a sip, letting the tea ease the feeling of cotton mouth Mushi had left. Intense warming flavor that you couldn’t describe, but certainly addictive. 

With speed you were rather ashamed of, given how you liked to savor your tea, the cup was emptied of its last drop. You traced the delicately painted flower around the porcelain of the cup, chest warmed both by the tea and the emotions stirring in your chest. His words, his tone, repeated itself over in your head, your back still tingling where he touched you. 

You needed more. 

Tea. You needed more tea, you thought rather embarrassed at the feeling settling in your lower regions. Being attracted to Mushi was one thing, but it was something quite different to imagine him….

"You look flustered, my little flower,” Mushi reappeared as if summoned by your thoughts, making you squeak. He had a secretive smile on his face as his hand reached around your back and settled on your opposite shoulder, subtly bringing you closer to his frame. “Was the tea too strong for you?”

“No, I-I loved it,” you answered honestly, dangerously being bold enough to look up at him. “And your right, I do enjoy aged full-bodied…teas." 

The pause was barely noticeable, and you hadn’t fully intended it, but you were proud to see surprise flash across his face, followed by a faint flush on his cheeks as he smiled, rubbing your shoulder slightly.

"Good, good,” he chuckled lowly. “I am glad I know my favorite customer so well. It would be a great shame if I misjudged what you were interested in." 

You were fairly sure he was meaning more than what he was saying. Your stomach twisted and your heart fluttered as you were caught up in his amber eyes. "No, I think you’ve figured out exactly what I like. But, um, maybe we could still take some time to, uh, get to know each other better,” you finished in a rush, realizing what exactly you were saying. Asking. 

A date. You were asking him out on a date. Out loud. 

The blush on his face deepened but it was a look of happy surprise on his face. “I quite agree. Perhaps at the festival next week?”

“Yes!” You agreed instantly, breaking into a smile. “I…! Yes,I would love to, Master Mushi.”


End file.
